Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 End of Life in October.

Used around the world, the Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 will end support on October 10, 2023. IT teams have several options available to protect server workloads, including extending the on-premise life of their server, upgrading, or migrating to the cloud. Additional considerations include economic conditions, returns on Microsoft investments, and total cost of Microsoft software ownership.

As previously stated, the Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 will no longer be supported past October 10, 2023. After this date, these products will not be receiving security updates, non-security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. Businesses that are unable to upgrade to the next version will be required to use Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for up to three years. While these ESUs are available for free in Azure or purchased for on-premises deployments, US Cloud can keep your ESUs updated better than any other market option until you need to switch over.

Businesses can migrate applications and databases to Azure and receive free Extended Security Updates for three years after the end of support date. They can also utilize Azure Hybrid Benefit for their Windows Server and SQL Server licenses, but using a third-party to prolong your current server life would be a better investment in the long-term.

As mentioned previously, companies can extend the life of their Windows 2012 and 2012 R2 servers by 3-5 years with ESUs and third-party support from US Cloud. This extended support maximizes the ROI of your Windows 2012 server fleet by pushing back disruptive and expensive migrations. While the need may arise in the future, you now have more time to plan and prepare around that migration.

Businesses can avoid expensive Microsoft Windows 2012 Server upgrades or migrations by running their existing highly functional systems and avoid long-term lock-ins from Microsoft. ESUs and third-party support from US Cloud provides companies the strategic freedom and flexibility to extend life support of currently stable Windows Servers. Companies are also able to upgrade their Microsoft fleet when it best suits the needs of the enterprise.

When the time is right, businesses can upgrade their Windows 2012 R2 servers to a Windows 2022 Server and keep them on-premises or migrate them to Azure Cloud. Experienced IT teams know that Windows Server upgrades are expensive and disruptive to your business’ workflow, resetting the ROI on your Microsoft investment. A migration to Azure causes just as many issues and also carries the additional cost of Unified Support.

A server upgrade should never be made just to stay fully supported, as this leaves you in a vulnerable position that Microsoft can leverage to force you into unfavorable and expensive contracts. In the past, a Microsoft Windows Server upgrade provided new functionalities, but newer features offer less value and a greater time commitment to fully upgrade, resulting in additional costs.

Deferring your Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 Server migration with the help of third-party support from US Cloud gives you time to prepare until your organization is ROI-ready. Microsoft Windows Server migrations are expensive, time-consuming, and usually don’t provide a competitive advantage or revenue growth out the gate. You must wait to recoup your losses, which continue to mount as Microsoft pressures you to sign more unfavorable support contracts down the line. The software giant is essentially forcing customers to move from a robust, stable system to a new, unproven platform through a forced end of life support deadline.

US Cloud Microsoft Support reduces fees, preserves flexibility, and extends the lifespan of current Microsoft Windows Server releases without incurring costly and lengthy upgrades or migrations. Savvy IT professionals are avoiding expensive and disruptive upgrades or migrations just for the sake of staying supported. US Cloud helps enterprises reduce support fees and avoid wasting money required to migrate or refresh a perfectly functional Windows Server system onto an unproven platform.

It’s like being forced into a beta tested environment. The functionality is there, but it hasn’t been fully tested, resulting in frustration as you encounter errors or issues that weren’t present in your previous server environment and could have been avoided with enough time and testing. Utilizing third-party support for your Windows Server 2012 for three more years isn’t simply saving you money, it’s providing you time to monitor the state of Windows Server 2022 and see if it is in a suitable state to switch over when the time comes.